AJ Storr scored 21 points and Ole Miss ended a four-game losing streak by holding off Southern Miss 71-67 in a neutral-site game Saturday in Biloxi, Miss.
Kezza Giffa scored 13, Patton Pinkins scored 12 and Malik Dia added 11 for the Rebels (6-4).
Isaac Taveras scored 20 and Tylik Weeks 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Golden Eagles (6-5).
Weeks converted a three-point play to start the scoring in the second half and give Southern Miss a 32-31 lead. There were four lead changes and a tie before Weeks made back-to-back jumpers to help the Eagles open a 43-38 lead.
The Rebels scored the next five points and the score was tied again at 47 before back-to-back layups from Giffa and Pinkins and a jumper from Storr gave Ole Miss a 53-47 lead.
Curt Lewis made three free throws to cut the lead in half, but Storr responded with a putback and his layup pushed the lead to 60-51 with 4:34 to play. Taveras made back-to-back baskets to bring Southern Miss within five, but the Rebels cut the lead to nine with 1:54 to play.
The Eagles got within three with 18 seconds left, but couldn’t get a stop.
Both teams got off to a slow start on offense and the score was tied at 6 after more than five minutes. Southern Miss’ Chiante Tramble hit a 3-pointer to produce another tie at 11 before Koren Johnson’s two free throws and Travis Perry’s 3-pointer gave Ole Miss a 16-11 lead midway through the first half.
Taveras made a layup for the Eagles and the scoring pace picked up a bit. Pinkins made a layup to give the Rebels another 5-point lead and he hit a jumper to give them another five-point lead.
Ole Miss’ lead reached double figures for the first time when Giffa hit two free throws at the 6:37 mark for a 25-15 advantage. Dylan Brumfield’s layup and 3-pointer helped the Eagles get within six points.
Southern Miss got within six points again, but Storr responded with two free throws for the Rebels. Djahi Binet made a 3-point play during a 6-0 run that brought the Eagles within 31-29 at halftime.
–Field level media
